COOK'S CORNER : OATMEAL-COOKIE ADVICE.

Several cooks responded to a request from a reader looking for a tried-and-true crisp, chewy oatmeal cookie. Four of the recipes shared follow.

Ruth Eckerle writes that her cookie version is an old Scottish recipe that has been in her family for many years. For a spicy version, she suggests substituting chopped raisins or currants for the coconut and adding ground cinnamon and ground cloves.

Thanks to all who sent along recipes.

OATMEAL COOKIES (Shared by Ruth Eckerle,

North Hills)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar 

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups uncooked oats 

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup shredded coconut

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well-blended.

Add flour, baking soda, salt and oats and beat until well-blended.

Stir in nuts and coconut. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls on greased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 10 to 15 minutes or until done.

OATMEAL CRISPIES (Shared by Renee M.Hummel, Northridge)

1 cup butter OR margarine

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup chopped nuts

In a bowl, thoroughly cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Add all remaining ingredients. Blend well.

Shape mixture into long rolls. Wrap in wax paper; chill 1 hour or freeze. To bake, slice 1/4-inch thick. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

OATMEAL CRISPS (Shared by Carole Doal, Encino)

2 cups uncooked rolled oats

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 pound butter (1 stick), melted

2 eggs

1/3 cup chopped nuts OR chocolate chips

In a bowl, combine oats, brown sugar and baking powder. Add melted butter and eggs. Fold in nuts.

Drop batter, 1 tablespoon at a time, on a well-greased cookie sheet, allowing plenty of room for cookies to spread.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 10 minutes.

AUNT JANE'S LACY OATMEAL COOKIES (Shared by TracieBreiter, Simi Valley)

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter OR margarine

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups uncooked oats

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

In a bowl, beat butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Beat until well-blended. Then add dry ingredients, beating well.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 8 to 10 minutes.

Melting moments

Margaret Bradley of North Hollywood can end her search for melt-in-your mouth cookies from the cornstarch box.

Three readers shared the same recipe that follows.

Joyce Basiliere got her cookie from a box of Kingsford Cornstarch, Vicki Wagner's recipe came from the Argo Cornstarch box and Sharilyn Hartley took her recipe from a book - ``Best Recipes From the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars'' by Ceil Dyer.

If you are in the mood for cookies or need a hostess gift, give these cookies a try.

MELTING MOMENTS COOKIES (Shared by Joyce M.Basiliere, North Hollywood; Vickie Wagner, Sherman Oaks; Sharilyn Hartley, Northridge)

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch and powdered sugar.

In a large bowl, beat margarine at medium speed until smooth. Add flour mixture and vanilla; beat until well-blended. If necessary, refrigerate 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Shape dough into 1 -inch balls. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets; flatten with a lightly floured fork.

Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove; cool on a wire rack. Store in a tightly covered container. Makes about 3 dozen.

ALMOND MELTING MOMENTS: Add 1 cup finely chopped almonds to flour mixture.

CHOCOLATE MELTING MOMENTS: Stir 1 square (1 ounce) semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled, into beaten margarine.

SUNNY MELTING MOMENTS: Add 1 tablespoon grated lemon OR orange peel to flour mixture.

PECAN-CINNAMON MELTING MOMENTS: Add 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to flour mixture.

Can you help?

If you have recipes that can help this reader, please send them along to us at the address below to share in a future column.

I'm looking for a recipe for a baklava cookie made with puff pastry. Does anyone have a recipe?

-Kyung Cho

Northridge